Rail bond



17, 1936. P. P. PIPES 2,034,442

RAIL BOND Filed Feb. 18, 1953 Inventor PLINYP PIPE Atlorney Patented Mar. 17, 1936 PAT OFFHE RAIL BOND Pliny P. Pipes, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation. of New Jersey My invention relates to electrical connectors of the type known as rail bonds for electrically connecting the adjacent ends of traction rails.

The object of my invention is a device which can be easily and cheaply applied to the rail base and which can be removed quite readily and reclaimed for reapplication.

This renewal feature is one worthy of consideration as it reduces the investment in rail bonds since it is customary, at least in mines, to tear up and relay rails after they have been down for some time and if the bonds are in good condition and not reclaimable, then there is considerable loss.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts hereinafter described and shown in the drawing.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a face view of the bond, that is, looking at the face away from the rail.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the bond.

Fig. 3 is a side view of one terminal showing its application to the rail base.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the bond in position on the rail.

Fig. 5 is a back face view of the rough terminal before it is prepared to receive the connecting cable.

Fig 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I provide two terminal members I formed of either a casting or forging and may be of either ferrous or non-ferrous material. My preference is aforging of steel or iron as it permits of easier reclaiming.

Preferably each terminal as forged is substantially triangular in shape and uniform in thickness and provided with two center marks or depressions 2 and 2'. The center mark 2 is used as the guide for drilling the terminal for the body or connecting cable 3. The center mark 2' remains permanently on the terminal and is used as a means to receive and steady the end of a tool used for removing the terminal from a rail, as later explained.

Each terminal is provided with spaced and projecting lugs 4 for engaging the upper surface of the rail base and forming therewith a receptacle 50 5 to receive molten welding metal for attaching the bond to the rail.

Also projecting from the terminal are spaced lugs 6 which engage the lower face of the rail and form with the lugs 4 channels I to receive the edge of the rail base 8.

Each terminal is also provided with raised portions 9 which are pressed inwardly after the cable has been applied to the terminal in order to hold thecabl-e in place until welded to the terminal and to assist in preventing strand vibration failure.

Having cut the cable to proper length and drilled the terminals, one terminal is placed on each end of the cable with a sleeve ID of thin material, such as copper, interposed between the cable and the terminal. The end face of the cable is flush with the face of the terminal or may project somewhat beyond the face and is welded to the terminal by means of the oxyacetylene flame or the electric arc and sufficient metal I-l added to securely hold the cable and terminal together.

Surrounding the exposed end of the cable and formed integrally with the terminal member is an annular rim l2 which forms with the end face of thecableand the adjacent face of the terminal a receptacle to receive the welding metal I I. If desired the edge l3 of the orifice I4 may be chamfered thus aiding in the welding of the cable to the terminal.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the application of the bond to the rail base and it will be noted that the welding metal it rests: upon the upper surface of the rail base within the receptacle 5 formed between the lugs 4.

In welding the-bond with a steel terminal, I prefer to use steel or ironwelding metal, although bronze or copper may be used.

The lugs 4 and 6 may be spaced to take the rail having the thickest base and as the lugs are usually malleable they may be easily bent to reduce the opening I in order that the terminals may better fit a base of less thickness.

When it is desired to remove a bond from a rail a pointed rod may be passed under the rail base from the opposite side to that which the bond is attached and the end of the rod positioned Within the center mark 2 and then by driving on the free end of the rod the terminal may be quickly and easily removed.

As the metal used to attach the bond to the rail is somewhat brittle due to its being substantially a casting, it will be found that in removing the terminal the welding metal will yield before the terminal or any part thereof is distorted and such welding metal as may remain between the lugs 4 may then be removed by grinding, thus leaving the bond in condition to be again applied to the rail.

The sleeve l0 tends to protect the body 3 which is usually made of copper from the terminal I which is preferably of steel and also the sleeve I 0 dampens out vibrations, thus increasing the life of the cable or body 3.

It will be noted that the receptacle 5 overlaps the edge of the rail base somewhat so that the side face of the rail base also helps to form part of the receptacle 5. It will be evident that this condition may be easily changed so that the receptacle will exclude the use of any side face of the rail base or include more, depending upon the degree of attachment which is: required.

The shape of the depending portion of the terminal is such that it is not so likely to be struck by passing objects and derailed car wheels and therefore is less liable to be accidentally torn from the rail.

Modifications may be made to the invention herein disclosed and which will be evident to those skilled in the art, therefore I wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:

1. A rail bond comprising a flexible body member and terminal members secured to the ends of the body member, each terminal member having spaced and projecting lugs to receive a rail base and to form therewith a receptacle for weld ing metal, a through-orifice in which an end of the body member is positioned and a depression in the rail side of the terminal member to receive and steady a tool used in removing the terminal from the rail after installation.

2. A rail bond comprising a stranded body member and terminal members secured to the ends of the body member, each terminal member having spaced lugs to receive a rail base and form therewith a receptacle for molten welding metal, a through-orifice in which an end of the body member is positioned, an annular flange about the orifice and spaced from the edge thereof to form a receptacle, welding metal within the receptacle to unite the body and terminal members together and a depression in the side of the terminal facing the rail to receive and steady a tool used in removing the terminal from the rail after installation.

3. A bond terminal comprising a body having a pair of spaced and laterally projecting lugs to overhang the rail base and support the terminal, a through-orifice to receive a bond cable, an annular flange spaced from and surrounding one edge of the orifice to form a receptacle for welding metal to attach the cable to the body and a depression in the face of the terminal from which the lugsproject to receive and steady a tool in removing the terminal from a rail to which it is attached.

4. A rail bond terminal for application to the base of a rail by welding comprising a body projecting above and below the rail base, means on the downwardly projecting portion of the body to receive the end of a cable welded to the body, means projecting from the upwardly projecting portion of the body to form with the rail base a means for supporting attaching metal in overlapping relation to the base to secure the terminal to the rail and means forming a pocket on the face of the downwardly projecting portion of the body and facing the rail to receive and steady the point of a tool for removing the attached terminal from the rail.

5. A bond terminal adapted to be positioned along the edge of a rail base comprising a body having a. pair of spaced and laterally projecting lugs overlying the adjacent upper surface of the rail base to support the terminal, the upper surface of the bond terminal between the lugs forming an elongated shelf closed at the ends by the lugs to catch and support welding metal in overlapping relation to the upper surface of the rail base, a socket on the face of the terminal toward the rail to receive and steady a tool to remove the terminal after being welded to the rail and an opening through the terminal and positioned below the rail base when the terminal is in position on the rail to receive the end of a cable, the axis of the opening being substantially parallel to the lower surface of the rail base and transverse to the rail.

6. A rail bond adapted to be applied to a rail surface comprising a flexible body member and terminal members secured to the ends of the body member, each terminal member provided with a laterally projecting lug to support the bond from the base of the rail, a through opening in which an end of the body member is positioned and retaining means on the face of the terminal towards the rail to receive a tool used in removing the terminal from the rail after installation and prevent the tool slipping relative to the terminal in the direction of the rail length.

PLINY P. PIPES, 

